Eucharistic table



July 21', 1942.

ATTQRN July 21, 1942- M. sTlMsoN v 2,290,577

EUCHARI S T I C TABLE Filed April 14, 1939 2 smeg-sheet 2 15gg@ A za( 720 20% QT )sw MM-f k 1 INVENTOR. l /6Q LM, L@ A44/W CEc/LM 5TM/50NATTORNEYS Patented July 21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,290,577EUCHARISTIC TABLE Mary Cecilia Stimson, Pewaukee, Wis. Application April14, 1939, kSerial No. 267,876

(Cl. 3'l2-33) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a eucharistie and family prayer table, and hasparticularly to do with an article of furniture arranged to provide atable for the administering of the sacraments of extreme unction andholy eucharist.

Often at home it is desired to administer the sacrament of holyeucharist. In such cases the sacramental candles and crucifix must beset up, and the sacramental spoon and linen secured. Or, in hospitalsthe sacrament of extreme unction must be administered to those on theirdeath bed, and there too, the sacramental candles and crucifix must beset up and the spoon and linen secured. For such situations smallportable boxes have been construed to hold what is necessary, scmetimesin the form of a cross that opens up. However, these require a table ofappropriate height on which to set up the necessary articles.

In hospitals, it is desirable to have such things readily obtainable,.in substantial but portable form so that they might be readily movedfrom room to room. A candle and a crucix are necessary in theadministration of the sacraments. Another requisite for hospital use isthat the necessary things can be put away so that the patients will notbe reminded of what may be in store for them. My invention is designedto fill these needs and requirements in a satisfactory manner.

The invention is a table designed for use in homes and hospitals. Whilenot in use, it presents the appearance of an ordinary table, but uponopening of the top, the required materials and surroundings areimmediately-available. For use in hospitals, the table is mounted onWheels so that the table may be brought immediately to the bed of adying person for administering the last sacrament.

One object of the present invention is to provide a sacramental orprayer table which is always ready for immediate use and which isarranged to present the appearance of an ordinary piece of furniturewhen not in use.

Another object is to provide a sacramental table which, because of itsportability, is especially useful in hospitals where it may be quicklypresented at a dying patients bedside.

A further object ofthe invention has to do with a unique constructionwhereby the top of the table may be folded to an upright or closedposition and present a finished appearance in either position.

Other objects and features of the invention have to do with the pvotconstruction of thev top and the front piece, and'other details of con-Cyl struction and fabrication as will be brought out more fully in thefollowing description and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the table in a closed position presenting theappearance of an ordinary piece of furniture.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the table in its open position ready for theadministering of sacraments.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the table with the top opened, but with thefront piece in a vertical position. Dotted lines show how this piece ispivoted to a horizontal position for the administering of sacraments.

Fig. 4 is the section 4-4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is the section 5--5 of Fig. 2, and is a modified form of theinvention with a drawer in the side.

Fig. 6 is a top view showing the top open, but With the front piece in avertical position.

Fig. 7 is the section 'I-'I of Fig. 4 and discloses the details ofconstruction of the top pivot.

The legs 8 of the table are held securely in position by baseboards 9which results in a strong construction that can withstand hard usage,such as'movable articles receive in hospitals. The legs are providedwith swivel wheels I0. These make the table easily movable from one roomto another. Y

The upper end of the legs 8 are held together by vertical pieces I2,secured to the legs 8 in a suitable manner. The front piece I2 is narrowand a sucient distance from the top-to allow a drawer I3 to rest on it.A top piece I4 bridges the sides to form a platform thereon. A centralportion of the back and front of this platform I4 are cut out 'forpurposes which will be evident. To this platform I4, side pieces I5 aresecured. AV front piece I6 extends across the platform .between thefront legs 8, and extends in height from the top of the drawer I3,to thetop of side pieces I5. Across the front of front piece I6, a Y

strip II is fastened of shape similar to the edges of platform piece I4.Front piece I6 is pivoted at I8, allowing piece .I6 to move to ahorizontal plane and in such position to be flush with platform pieceIlI. A handlev I9 may be grasped to move the piece I6. The adjacentedges of front piece vII and platform I4 are beveled as shown to form atightrjoint when the front piece is horizontal as shown in dotted linesin Fig. 3. Corner pieces I6a are attacheduto sides I5 to complete theclosing of the box Whenkfront piece I6 is in an upright position.

A top 20 is pivoted at 2| to the side pieces I5, Figs. 4 and '7. Thepivot is so placed that when top 20 is rotated to a vertical position itis ush with vertical piece I2 on the back. A member 22 is fastened tothe top 20 near the back edge and is of such length as to i'lt betweenthe sides I5, and is of such width as to extend from vertical piece I2on the back to top 20, when 20 is in a horizontal position. This member22 is so positioned with reference to the pivot 2I that when top 20 ishorizontal, it is flush with vertical piece I2 on the back, and when top2U is vertical, it is substantially flush with platform piece i4. Thismember 22 moves into the central cut-out portion of platform I4 when thetop 2i! is vertical.

Fastened to the inside of top 25 is another member 23 parallel to member22 and a short distance from it. This member serves as a shallow shelfwhen the top 20 is rotated to a vertical position and has an ornamentalshape for this purpose, Fig. 6. A piece 24 is fitted between the forwardedges of members 23 and 22, and may also have an ornamental shape.

On the shelf member 23 are mounted candle holders 25 in which aremounted sacramental candles 26. A figure 2'I of Christ on the cross ismounted on the inside of the top 20 and figures 28 of religioussignificance may be placed on either side, such as, the Blessed Motherand Saint Joseph. The candles, crucifix and religious figures should allbe firmly aiiixed so that the top 20 may be opened or closed and thetable moved without dislodging them. A box 29 is placed between thesides I to hold the sacramental instruments and may be suitably securedto the platform piece I 4. A cover 30 on this box may be of the slidingtype or suitably hinged. If desired, this box 29 may be eliminated andthe sacramental instruments held in the drawer I3.

The details of the pivot at 2l are shown in Fig. 7. A block 3| issecured at each end of the rectangular opening formed by members 20, 22and 23 and 24. In these blocks 3| is a hole for a pin 32, said pin beingflanged on its inner end and drilled so that screws 33 may hold the pinin place. An insert or socket 34 in a hole in side pieces I5 receivesthe pins 32, and acts as a bearing.

What I claim is:

1. A readily movable article of furniture serviceable as an ordinarytable which may be opened from the top to provide a sacramental orprayer table comprising four legs, wheels on the lower ends of saidlegs, a platform on the top of said legs, a box formed on said platformusing the platform as a bottom, a pivoted front on said box so that saidfront may pivot from a vertical to a horizontal position and when insaid horizontal position lies flush with the bottom of the box, a coveron said box pivoted at the rear and movable to a vertical position atthe back of said box, a back to said box rigidly secured to said cover,and otherwise unsecured at any edge, a pin for pivoting said rotatablecover mounted on said cover and pivotally mounted in the side walls ofsaid box, so positioned with reference to the attached back, that saidback presents a finished closed aspect to the box when the cover is in aclosed position and which lies substantially flush with the bottom whensaid cover is in a vertical position, the bottom being spaced inwardlyfrom the rear side of the cabinet for space necessary for rotating theback.

2. A eucharistie or sacramental table which has the aspect of anordinary table when not -in evo use comprising four legs, a strong framesecuring the bottoms of the legs in position, flat members extendingbetween the upper ends of the legs and secured to them to form therewitha rectangular frame, said fiat members disposed in the planes of thejoined legs, or nearly parallel planes, a platform resting on the top ofsaid legs and flat members, a box formed on said platform, using theplatform as a bottom, a pivoted front to said box that may be rotated toa horizontal position, which in a closed position is in substantiallythe same plane as the flat member below it, and which in a horizontalposition, lies flush with the bottom of the box, a cover on said boxpivoted at the rear, and movable to a vertical position, a back to saidbox securely fastened to the cover of the box and unsecured on any otheredge, members containing a hole depending from the cover on either sideof the inside of the box, inserts each containing a cylindrical holeplaced in the sides of the box opposite the holes in said' dependingmembers, and pins inserted through the holes into the insert, said pinsacting as the pivot for said cover, and the hole and insert sopositioned with reference to the back of the box that the cover in anupright position lies in the same plane as the back ina closed position,and further positioned that the back may be substantially flush with thebottom of the box when the cover is in an upright position, said bottombeing spaced inwardly from the rear of the cabinet at this point toallow free rotation of the back.

3. A readily movable eucharistie or sacramental table which when not inuse has the appearance of an ordinary table, comprising four legs, aframe securing the bottoms of the legs in position, swivel mountedwheels on the bottom of said legs allowing easy maneuverability; fiatmembers extending between the upper ends of the leg-s and secured tothem to form therewith a strong rectangular frame, said at membersdisposed substantially in the plane of the joined legs, a drawer openingin one of these flat members, and a drawer mounted therein, a platformresting on the top of the legs and flat members; a box formed on saidplatform similar in size to the rectangle of the said top frame, usingthe platform for a bottom; a pivoted front on said box that extends fromthe top of the drawer to the top of the box, and which, when moved to ahorizontal position, lies flush with the bottom of the box; a cover onsaid box pivoted at one edge and movable to an upright position at oneedge of said platform, a back to said box securely fastened to the coverof the box, and unsecured and free on all other edges; a member attachedto the inside of said cover near the rear and parallel to said back,acting as a shelf when said cover is rotated to an upright position,members containing a hole depending from the inside of the cover betweenthe shelf and the back on either side of the inside of the box, insertseach containing a cylindrical hole placed in the sides of the boxopposite the holes in said depending members, and pins inserted throughthe holes, into the inserts and secured to the depending member, saidpins acting as the pivot for said cover, and the hole and insert sopositioned that the cover in an upright position lies in the same planeas the back in a closed position, and further so positioned that theback may be substantially fiush with the bottom of the box when thecover is in an upright position, said platform bottom being spacedinwardly at the rear of the cabinet at this point to allow free rotationof the back.

4. A piece of furniture comprising four legs, at members extendingbetween the upper ends of the legs and secured to them to form therewitha rectangular frame, said at members disposed substantially in theplanes of the joined legs, a platform resting on the top of said legsand at members, a box formed on said platform, using the platform as abottom, a pivoted front to said box that may be rotated to a horizontalposition, which in closed position is in substantially the same plane asthe iiat member below it, and which in a horizontal position, lies ushwith the bottom of the box, a cover on said box pivoted at the rear, andmovable to a vertical position, a back to said box securely fastened tothe cover of the box and unsecured on any other edge, members containinga hole depending from the cover on either side of the inside of the box,

'inserts each containing a cylindrical hole placed in the sides of thebox opposite the holes in said depending members, and pins insertedthrough the holes into the inserts said pins acting as the pivot forsaid cover, and the hole and inserts so positioned with reference to theback of the box that the cover in an upright position lies in the sameplane as the lback in a closed position, and further positioned that theback may be substantially flush with the bottom of the box when thecover is in an upright position, said bottom being spaced inwardly fromthe rear of the cabinet at this point to allow free rotation of theback.

MARY CECILIA STIMSON.

